Childproof receptacles or containers, such as childproof medicine bottles and childproof boxes have been around for some time. In fact, the prior art is busy with different teachings for a wide variety of these so-called safety containers. However, known devices have several shortcomings, which have not been properly addressed.
For example, several teachings focus on devices that require a heighten dexterity—typically requiring use of multiple hands—in order to operate the locking means of the container. Other devices involve structural elements that facilitate the locking means of these containers, but which restrict the usable space within the receptacle. Other designs involve odd shapes that are not ideal for easily carrying around the receptacles, which often carry daily medicine and are thus needed on a regular basis; moreover, odd or uneven shaped containers make their storage by manufacturers or distributers much more difficult. Yet other designs have complex features that may provide characteristics such as air tight seals, but which necessarily make the device more difficult to operate by elderly individuals—typically due to tougher material requirements.
One such device is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,350 to Horvath. Horvath describes a snap-lock and squeeze-open slide top container that has a small centered catch depending from the interior face of a cover. To operate this device, a user must squeeze the sides of the container with one hand, and pull a drawer bottom container with the other hand. Although requiring multiple hands to operate may (although not necessarily) prevent children from accessing its contents, this method of operation is often difficult for the elderly to operate.
Another such device is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,098 to Howard. Howard describes a dispensing and storage container for various articles, particularly pills, wherein the stored articles are readily available when needed; the storage container includes a safety mechanism to prevent accidental access to the pills. To prevent accidental opening of the container, one of the walls of the receptacle is provided with a lock recess in which a locking lug is removable received. In order to unlock the cover from the receptacle, the cover is provided with a pair of oppositely arranged, flexible tab members which, when pressed inwardly, cause the cover to bow and thus disengage the locking lug from the locking recess, whereby the cover can be moved rearwardly of the receptacle and thus expose the storage compartment. Again, this requires a user to simultaneously press on the sides of the container prior to being able to open a receptacle with a second hand.
Similarly, U.S. Patents to Laauwe (U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,224), Reeve (U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,544), Katsis et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,757,843), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,284 to Drozd all teach distinct types of childproof or safety containers that include locking mechanisms requiring use of multiple hands.
Katsis for example, teaches a childproof packaging for a product such as matches or pharmaceutical tablets that includes a sleeve and a container for the product within the sleeve. A user must use both hands simultaneously, with a respective hand operating a respective pair of latches, to hold the latches in an unlatched condition and also simultaneously to apply pressure to the container to slide it outwardly relatively to the sleeve. According to Katsis, such a two-handed, five-finger-operation to open the package requires a dexterity that is supposedly easy for adults but very difficult for children. However, such complex devices have been known to cause undesirable difficulties to elderly users.
Drozd describes a child-resistant package that includes a tray with a compartment therein for receiving articles to be packaged, and a cover member slidably received on the tray and movable relative to the tray between opened and closed positions. To operate this device, the index fingers of both hands must be used to press down on a bottom wall of a tray, which releases a locking mechanism that includes an internal abutment means or rib that juts out of one of the interior walls of the receptacle. Not only does this mechanism require an internal structure that interferes with the usable space for storing items, but the use of both hands unnecessarily complicates operation of the package. Thus, it would be desirable that safety containers such as childproof containers be easy to operate by all adults, including the elderly, which often have trouble operating the more complex two-handed locking mechanisms.
Other known devices have somewhat addressed this problem by implementing locking mechanisms that do not require two hands. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,222 to McNary discloses a safety box having a cover slidably receiving a tray. Vertical and horizontal rails are provided on the interior of the sidewalls of the cover which cooperate with laterally extending lugs on the sidewalls of the tray to preclude movement of the tray relative to the cover unless the cover is bowed by utilizing a vertical force to it to flare-the vertical rails away from the lugs. In order to enable operation of this device, both the cover portion and the base or drawer portion must be flexible enough to allow bowing. One problem with this approach is that by requiring both a top and bottom surface to be pressed inward (into the containment cavity) in order to release the drawer, the space inside the containment cavity is limited and thus not efficiently utilized. Another problem with this design, is that although perpendicular rails are provided to limit complete disassociation or removal, the container may nonetheless be completely disengaged from each other, which poses a risk that a child may ply the container apart.
Thus, it would be desirable that safety containers such as childproof containers implement mechanisms that do not substantially interfere with efficient use of the storage space otherwise available, and that such containers implement features that prevent disassembly.
Yet other examples are more complex and require tougher construction, which often results in devices that are more strenuous to operate and utilize materials that are not cost effective. For example, U.S. Patent Publication 2004/0055903 A1 to Nishimura is one such device. Nishimura describes a slide open container that includes a resilient cover providing an air-tight seal. A big problem with these types of devices is how hard they are to operate for adults with less or diminished strength, such as is common of elderly patients. Another problem is that the cover must be shaped accordingly to enable a pressing of the otherwise harder plastic that is implemented in order to achieve the air-tight seal—for example, Nishimura describes a convex exterior surface that may be flattened by a user in order to disengage a locking means. Another setback of this structure is that such receptacles are inherently more difficult to store (for the user as well as distributors that may want to store in a manner efficient for inventory purposes), because for example, they are not easily stackable. Thus, it would be desirable that safety containers such as childproof containers implement materials and designs that re not strenuous to operate. Moreover, it would be desirable that such childproof containers implement easily manageable shapes that do not substantially interfere with efficient storage of the receptacle so that these items can be stored efficiently in by a distributor (for example a pharmacy) as well as in a storage cabinmate or a pocket of an individual.
Therefore, there exists a previously unappreciated need for a new and improved childproof box that is easy to operate by all adults, including the elderly; that implements mechanisms that do not substantially interfere with efficient use of the storage space within the container; and that are shaped for efficient storage and handling of the containers.
It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.